Miller’s use of space to create his shooting spot on his second goal was something else. It’s really beautiful to watch.

“I see a lot of similarities here (with Tampa), maybe not as much experience, but there’s a lot of good players that could play the power play here,” he said before Tuesday’s game.

“I think that once we get dialled in, I mean, if you look at the little things that we’ve done in the power play — our shots, chances for and entries and stuff like that — we’re doing a good job, which haven’t put it in the net.”

“We’re trying to learn each other’s tendencies. And we’re trying to be simple right now and just try to get back to things that we can control. Like I said, there’s a lot of dangerous weapons on the unit … I think we’ll see more pucks going in here.”

Puck luck was certainly part of the story, Travis Green admitted post-game.

“And not having it (luck) earlier,” he said, when it was pointed out his power play had been firing plenty of shots to date.

“You know, we track a lot of things other than goals on the power play, and we’ve been happy with what they’ve been doing on their entries, on their puck retrievals, face-off puck retrievals. Newell (Brown) works hard with this group and it’s not a veteran group. He’s teaching them a lot. And I think they’re just going to get better with time.”

Stech mixes it up

Troy Stecher grinned a little about the rough-and-tumble finish to his game.

He and Adam Erne were handed roughing and elbowing penalties respectively, plus misconducts.

“I love when the guys kind of have my back in scrums and whatnot, but … I figured, you know, I gotta stick up for myself, I need a little respect in this league. I can’t just have my guys come and rescue me all the time. I’m going to stick up for myself,” Stecher said of the altercation.

Catching up with the Bulldog

“It’s a young, fast team,” Alex Biega said before Tuesday’s game of his new team, the Red Wings.

“They play a different system for sure, it’s not a man-on-man, it’s more a matter of taking care of the slot … and then the 1-3-1 is certainly different in the neutral zone.”

“Getting to know the guys, it’s like the first day of school again,” he said with a smile.

“I’m going to play the same way for sure, yeah. I think that’s what they want, guys that close off quick,” he said.

Jim Benning drafted him in Buffalo, he noted. He was thankful that the Canucks GM found him an NHL landing spot.

“I didn’t play like 20 in a row under Willie, I forget what year it was. Jim told me, ‘Listen, if you can’t do your role anymore and if you’re not satisfied with your role, just come to me and I’ll see if I can find you another opportunity.

“I really appreciate what Jim did for me,” he said, even if it’s bittersweet to leave.

“You say goodbye but another door opens.”

Troy Stecher said he was happy for his friend.

“One of the best teammates I’ve ever had,” he said. “He’s going to be dearly missed. He’s just a weapon, you can talk to him about anything.”

“Everybody obviously wants to play in this league and it’s hard when you don’t. He’s one of those guys who came to the rink every day and it didn’t matter if he was playing or not, his attitude never changed. The way he treated his teammates and the coaching staff was always the same.

“He was the hardest worker in every single practice; his work ethic is through the roof. He’s always doing extra in the weight room, knowing he’s not going to play that night. It was really unique to see somebody that committed, that dedicated to his craft.”

What’s the deal with Dhaliwal?

Money is always a factor in these decisions, but there can be other factors, too.

Radio is a tough, tough business. Sports radio is even tougher.

Dhaliwal is old-school. He worked the phones. He broke news because that’s what he wanted to be and that’s what he was best at. Maybe he’ll pop up elsewhere.

I asked him if he wanted to say anything to the fans.

He took the high road.

“I want to thank 650 for two great years,” he said. “Great staff. Great people. Tough day for me because I can’t go to work tomorrow and do something I love. Radio is my passion, my heart. Covering the Canucks was a dream come true.”

“I hope to bounce back. I fooled them for 28 years — they got me in year 29.”

Bolland lesson

If you Google Dave Bolland AHL, you’ll find stories about how he was farmed out by the Florida Panthers on a conditioning stint on Dec. 15, 2015.

The next result is nearly a year later, about how his agent says he’ll never play again.

The in-between is the interesting part.

Bolland played two games for the Portland Pirates, the Panthers’ AHL squad.

As the story goes, he showed up in the trainer’s room the day after game two and said he feared he’d injured his back in such a way that he would not be able to recover and worried about his future. He worded it in a way that suggested maybe someone with a legal understanding of the NHL’s clauses had talked to him.

Did the Panthers send him to the AHL, thinking he’d be quick to ponder his hockey future? Did he really want to make his millions riding buses around the U.S. Northeast? He would still be paid if he found himself dealing with a debilitating back injury. He didn’t have to ride those buses.

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